MANILA — Senator Erwin Tulfo is pushing a proposal seeking to remove examination fees for qualified indigent Filipinos taking major licensure and eligibility tests, including board and bar examinations, as part of efforts to expand access to professional opportunities.

Under Senate Bill No. 2035, or the “Free Professional Examinations Act,” qualified indigent applicants would be exempted from paying fees for professional exams.

“It is a reality for many Filipinos to finish school but never get the license they worked hard for due to a lack of funds. Instead of paying for licensure exam fees, they tend to start working—often becoming underemployed—just to get by,” Tulfo lamented.

The measure also seeks to address what the senator described as a gap that prevents low-income graduates from advancing into licensed professions and limits the country’s pool of qualified workers.

Covered under the proposal are examinations administered by the Professional Regulation Commission board exams, the Civil Service Commission eligibility exams, and bar examinations handled under the supervision of the Supreme Court of the Philippines.

The bill defines a qualified indigent as one certified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development. The certification must be presented to the concerned agency or institution administering the examination.

Under the proposal, the benefit may only be availed of once a year to ensure proper implementation of the program.

“Many of our young students even take on side hustles just to get through graduation; let us help them fully realize their dream of becoming licensed professionals,” the Senator concluded.